Giant flying tumbleweed. Ricky Gervais' GHOST TOWN gets trailer & little laughs!

By Matt Holmes / June 25, 2011

What's more annoying than Ricky Gervais playing Ricky Gervais for a couple of minute cameo's in Stardust and Night at the Museum? I'll tell you. Ricky Gervais playing Ricky Gervais for a full length feature film.

Now don't get me wrong, you know usually I love this guy's work. He is a tremendous writer, he created a physical performance of so many compelling truths in David Brent and if you listen to his radio shows, podcasts or t.v. interviews... he is insanely funny. But, outside of his own material, he's never quite clicked for me and it doesn't help that he plays up on his own cliche. It's a sad fact that only his cameo in Alias and his excellent show The Office are the only times that Gervais hasn't been playing more of himself, or the public persona of the "Gervais character" on screen than he has anything else. And so to Ghost Town. A movie where he plays a dentist who genuinely dislikes people and won't budge an inch to help anyone, who suddenly dies for several minutes in hospital and awakens with a Sixth Sense... an ability to communicate with the dead and act as a helper to them.

Big name screenwriter/director David Koepp was behind the camera on this one from a script he co-wrote with John Kamps (Zathura, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers).

It has the aura of a really bad Adam Sandler movie, no or the atmosphere or something like the pitiful Over Her Dead Body?

As you know, I've read the script for Gervais' next picture, a movie he wrote and will co-direct with Matt Robinson titled This Side of the Truth which I think should be a big hit and perfectly makes Gervais the lovable hero. Here, I'm not sure we will care enough to cheer for Gervais.

Ghost Town opens in August 19th (U.S.) and October 24th (U.K.)